Church Ministry

Many leaders like the concept of having a team. Unfortunately, some church leaders function more as an owner rather than a team member. Seventy helps church leaders fulfill their role in building, developing, and working with teams. It offers insights into the challenges of doing ministry as a team and practically addresses how to overcome these challenges. If you care about the church, believe in apostolic ministry—following the apostles’ example—and want to experience the book of Acts in the 21st century, this book is for you. Everyone needs a team.

Based on a study that was commissioned by the Leadership Network, this book reveals the best practices in church planting and uncovers the common threads among them. A much-needed resource, this book will inform, guide, and even catalyze today's many church planting leaders. The authors clearly show leaders how to plant churches that create a multiplication movement and offer inspiration for them to do so. The book addresses their questions about what to do next in their church planting strategies, in light of research on what's actually working best.

What would your church look like in the future if it were to maximize the dormant gifts of the women God has brought there? In Developing Female Leaders, Kadi Cole, 20-year veteran in leadership and people development, offers a practical strategy to help church and organizational leaders craft cultures that facilitate the development of women as volunteer and staff leaders.

In the 1970s, many campus radicals raised in Christian homes brought neo-Marxist ideas from college back to church with them. At first, figures like Jim Wallis, Ron Sider, and Richard Mouw made great gains for their progressive evangelical cause. But, after the defeat of Jimmy Carter, the religious right stole the headlines. Today, a new crop of mainstream evangelicals has taken up the cause of the New Left, whether they know it or not.

While many churches talk about discerning calling and engaging in mission, very few are structured to make this their ministry focus. Underground Church is a new vision for the church rooted in its biblical mission to share the love of God and serve the poor. Sanders explores how to make structural changes, how to think about leadership, how to fund ministries, and how to truly engage people in God's mission. Filled with creative insights, he explains what it means to center the mission of the church around the callings of individuals to outward ministry.

With decades of leadership experience in business, nonprofits, and Christian higher education, Uli Chi helps listeners build this foundational virtue. Looking to Scripture as well as art and literature, Chi illuminates the nature of wisdom as fundamentally relational and other-centered. In the context of leadership, biblical wisdom shows us the importance of wielding power with humility. Chi also provides a framework for the formation of character and vision in the lifelong journey of gaining wisdom.

From personal experiences in his ministry through comedy, Brad Stine has chosen 11 concepts to consider as a Christian. Are they really true, or do we just believe them to be credible - even though there's no biblical support for them? More importantly, how does the belief in their veracity affect non-believers if we're wrong? Brad has carefully considered these ideas, as well as lived many of them.

The teachings of Jesus Christ have been updated in light of the hidden Gnostic texts and the ancient teachings of the Far East, where these wisdom teachings originated thousands of years before the advent of Jesus. Special emphasis is given to his emphasis on finding the Light within, which Jesus called the Father. His use of the I AM, the secret name of God, is highlighted.

Your senior pastor has just stepped down. Your church is at a loss. Where do you go from here? This book is a product of more than three decades of full-time, pastoral ministry from Frank Page. This is truly one of the most practical works on the subject that has ever been published. Using scripture as the foundation and real-life examples of searches done well and searches gone bad, Frank Page gives advice on what to look for, what to ask, and what to do.

Church Planting Thresholds explores both the why's and the how's of church planting, providing "Thresholds" that serve as progress mileposts along the church-planting journey. This simple guide will encourage ordinary Christians as they seek to fulfill the great commission through planting churches.

In recent decades, Americans in Rome have revived an ancient Christian custom: the daily pilgrimage to dozens of Rome's most striking churches during Lent and Easter Week. Along this historical and spiritual pathway, pilgrims encounter hidden artistic wonders and treasured Christian commentaries while also confronting the great mysteries of the Christian faith through a program of biblical and early Christian readings. The itinerary of the Roman station church pilgrimage offers Christians an opportunity to reflect on their religion and ponder the quality of their discipleship.

Early Christianity was subversive and dangerous - dangerous for Christians, and a threat to the keepers of the old order. Most of all Christianity was countercultural. But what about contemporary American Christianity? Is it the countercultural way of Jesus or merely a religious endorsement of Americanism? In his provocative audiobook, Postcards From Babylon, Brian Zahnd challenges the listener to see and embrace a daring Jesus-centered Christianity that can again turn the world upside down.

After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices, establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures.

The dramatic and fascinating story of Chai Ling, commander-in-chief of the student protesters at Tiananmen Square and witness to the massacre of thousands of Chinese civilians. Risking imprisonment and possible death, she was on the run in China for 10 months while being hunted by the authorities. She eventually escaped to the U.S., completed her education, found true love, and became a highly successful entrepreneur. But her newfound passion for God led to her life's greatest mission.

"In my first seminary class, we were asked to introduce ourselves and say why we enrolled. I'll never forget what one student said: 'My denomination wants me to have an M.Div., but once they see I can grow a big church, I don't think they'll make me finish the program.'" The priorities of this future pastor were startling, but he's not alone in them. In the years since that class, author and minister Skye Jethani has seen more and more pastors swallowed by the celebrity syndrome. Immeasurable will help ministers recognize the forces shaping their view of the calling.

This biblically grounded book asserts that many leaders overlook the necessary precondition of cooperating with the empowering will of the Holy Spirit before putting their plans into action. Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit is a highly practical guide for nurturing relations between believers and the Holy Spirit, a process facilitated by seven dynamics.

The Five Hazardous Attitudes are Anti-authority, Invulnerability, Macho, Impulsivity, and Resignation. Aircraft accident investigators have found that at least one of these hazardous attitudes have played a role in almost every aircraft accident. But pilots are not the only people who sometimes crash.

This is the story of one couple's faith crisis after realizing the church they have spent 25 years serving as leaders in has made subtle but profound changes over the years. It is their journey from being trusting followers of Jesus to questioning everything about their faith. Who is really following the Bible? Who is really interpreting the Bible correctly?

The history of the church is filled with stories. Stories of triumph, stories of defeat, stories of joy, and stories of sorrow. In this book, Dr. Stephen J. Nichols provides snapshots of the church through the centuries. You’ll meet fascinating saints, travel to curious places, examine precious artifacts, and watch as surprising turns of events unfold. This lively and informative journey not only captures the richness of Christian history, but also reveals a record of God’s providence and faithfulness to his people.

Ten of the Largest Church Ministries Aggressively Touching the World is about the innovative ways these leaders plant churches and the unique strategies they utilize to teach and disciple their people. It also explores the multifaceted methods they use to reach people for Jesus. These methods are based on eternal Biblical principles that never change, even when culture changes. This is your invitation to harvest wisdom and insight from some of the most respected, cutting-edge, and unique church leaders alive today!